"This suit is completely without any merit whatsoever and we will defend it vigorously," the Giants said in a statement. "We will not otherwise comment on pending litigation."

The claims against the Giants and team equipment manager Joe Skiba included passing off helmets and jerseys. The one specific item that seemed to be a point of contention was a helmet that was supposed to be quarterback Eli Manning's from Super Bowl XLII. But that helmet reportedly sits in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Manning released a statement through the team: "The Giants told me this suit is completely without merit and I have no reason to believe otherwise. The Giants are going to fight it and so will I."

The NFL ironically was holding a counterfeit merchandise press conference for the Super Bowl on Thursday morning. Most of the participants were unaware of the exact details of the allegations against the Giants – other than what they read in the original New York Post report on Thursday morning.

“My understanding is that these were allegations that were made and their have not been any findings at this point, or may not be," said Anastasia Danias, the NFL’s vice president for legal affairs. “But what I would say is what I would say on tickets and on other merchandise: Buy from reliable sources. Buy from sources you can trust, who you have recourse to if your product doesn’t seem right. Go to reliable sources that stand behind their product.”

There exactly lies the problem. The Giants and the other 31 teams are supposed to be reliable sources. The NFL's players are supposed to be reliable sources.

The lawsuit also alleges Manning's involvement was participation in holding back his actual "personal items" so they wouldn't be sold.